The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1887-10-19
Everything on the street was as silent

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room, having the revolver in my hand.
There was no door at the head OF the
stairs. INTENDED to go there and listen
down the stairway. As I was moving
across the room, which was then pretty
clear of goods as far as the trapdoor, |
suddenly rccollected this opening and
changed my course to reach it. 1t was
terribly dark in the room, and one unfa-
miliar with the place would not have
| dared to move foot Half way to the
trap l got down on hands and knees, and
as reached the opening, settled down
on my stomach. There was dim light
down stairs. That settled the fact that
some one was in the store. After MN
ute heard whispers. then the movement
of feet, then certain sound which loca'
ted the intruderS to foot. They were
at the safe in the front of the store. |
drew myself forward and looked down
the opening. l could see lighted can
die and two or three dark figures at the
safe. and could hear the combination
being worked My first thought was to
drop my hand down and open IRE IN
their direction, but I remembered that
we had so many articles hanging up that
no bullet had a chance of reaching to the
safe. Twas wondering what to do when
| heard one of the men whisper:
sIt's all nonsense We might work
here Il week and not hit 1t.
s'But told you to bring the tools and
YOU wouldn't, protested another.
ooh, dry up" put in third voice;
'sWhat we want to do is to go up ano
bring that counter hopperdown and make
him open the box"
"Tll give the cussed thing few more
trials" said the first man, and l heard
him working away again. My eyes could
not have told me the number CT robbers,
but nv ears had. There were three OF
them, and they were no doubt desperate
and determined men. They spoke OF
bringing me down to open the safe as II
no resistance was anticipated or taken IN.
to account. Indeed, they might WEI
reason that they had me at their mercy.
The rain was now falling, the night was
very dark, and pistol shot in the store
could not have been heard in either OF the
dwellings. If they had reflected that
might be armed, they would have offset
it with the fact that I was boy OF
eighteen with girls face and probably
girls nerve. I don't deny that ! was q
bit ratified, and that my lip would quive'
in spite of me, but was at the same time
fully determined to protect the store II II
cost me nv life. How to get at the fel'
lows was what bothered me, but that
trouble was soon solved.
"There," whispered the man at the
combination as he let go of it, Il wont
fool here another minute. That kid
knows the combination, and we can make
him work it. Come on.
They are coming up stairs. The best
place for me would be at the head Of the
stairway. The stairs had half turn in
them, and l would fire upon the first man
who came within range. I heard the
men coming back to the stairway, and
my nerve gave way. 1t wasn't from cow
ardice, but the knowledge that l was to
kill human being upset me. decided
to retreat to my room, and, If they per
sisted in coming that far, | would shoot.
The trio had rubberS on their feet, but
they came up stairs without trying very
hard to prevent makinga noise. The one
who came first had the candle, and, as
he got to the head of the stairs, saw a
knife in his other hand They made ne
delay in approaching my room. and,
with great effort, l bIaced myself fol
what l saw must happen. They could
not see me until within three or four feet
Of the door, and their first intlmatlon
that | was out of bed was when they
heard me call out:
'.Stop, or III shoot!'
had them covered with the weapon,
and for fifteen seconds there was dead
silence. Then they got plan. The man
with the candle dashed it on the floor, and
I suppose they meant to rush in on me in
/ the dark, but l checkma,ed it by opening
fire. They then either meant to retreat
downstairs or toward the rear of the floor,
for saw the three together moving Oft,
and fired a, their dim figures. Three
seconds larer here was a great shout OF
horr II. followed by the tremendous re.
port of the double barreic spring gun,
and then there was absolute silence.
think stood in the door, shaking like &
leaf, for fully three minutes before the
silence was broken by groan. Then II
came to ME that the robbers had fa!ler
through the open door upon the core
I leading to the gun. struck match
/ lighted nv own candle, and, going tt
the opening, saw three bodies ly
ing below. Running back to the
bedroom to charge my revolver, l ther
went down stairs to investigate. 1t wa
as suspected. The three had pitched
down together. The top of ones heac
had been blown off by the shot, seconc
had hole in his chest as big as your fist
while the third, who was responsible fol
the groans, was severely wounded in bott
legs. It was three months before ht
could be put on trial, and he then got
four years in prison. The whole thing
was put up job. The ''drover" was {
Chicago burglar called ''Clawhammel
Dick. " and he had hidden himself in the
store that night, and then let his pals II
by the back door, They had a horse anc
wagon in the rear of the building, and tht
plan was to rob the store of goods as wei
as to get at the money in the safe. \ bi
of carelessness on my part not only saved
the store and probably my life, but
wiped out very desperate gang.-Aeu
York Sun
Carrier Pigeons in War.
Steps have been taken in nearly all Eu